Quick Saflager-23 Question

[Burchman82]

hey guys, silly question but you know "never stupid questions just stupid people"

just wondering if the Saflager s-23 yeast can be grown and stored like the liquid yeasts described elsewhere on this forum???

are there any specific differences? or is it just much of the same?

cheers
Burch

 

[Hopsta]

Nup exactly the same Burch.

 

[SJW]

WHY?

 

[Burchman82]

whatdya mean why???

cos the S-23 yeast that i would like to use is 5 bucks a sachet at the HBS.

 

[Trough Lolly]

I think the issue here is why bother doing all that work to harvest and keep S-23 dry yeast when it's already relatively cheap compared to the Wyeast and White Labs variants.

Don't forget that in order to harvest and make up decent sized quantities of this stuff, eg, you want to put the stuff away in stubbies, you may be spending extra money on DME or LME in order to provide starters for this yeast and that can add to the overall cost and therefore negate the original saving by going with dry yeast in the first place.

I tend to plan my beers and if I have dry yeast like this or W34/70 or US-56 etc etc, I'll do two or three batches and repitch fresh wort onto the yeast cake in the fermenter, after racking the fermented batch into secondary. I don't have the hassles of making yeast starters, I get several brews out of the one sachet and all it took was a bit of prior planning to prevent piss poor performance!!

If that's too hard, then just keep some of the slurry and re-use it in the near future. I tend to only use the slurry for 2 or 3 brews before ditching to avoid the risk of mutation or autolysis etc...

Why scimp out on a 5 buck sachet when you've spent four times that on the kit and more again on the steeping grains, malt, hops etc. Do you really want to hamstring your work by keeping and/or re-using dodgy yeast???

Cheers,
TL

 

[Burchman82]

yeah fair enough,

i just like to keep my brews under the 20 dollar mark if at all possible (unless i feel like a splurge) so spending 5 bucks or so each time was just shittin me a bit.

i do have some liq yeast stashed in my fridge somewhere that i gotta get round to farming. maybe later when im a tad more confident

 

[shmick]

Isn't it recommended to pitch 2 sachets of S-23 to get the correct cell count for lagers?
At $10 it isn't that much cheaper than liquid yeast.

I usually brew a batch a litre or 2 over what's required and fridge or freeze the extra to use in starters. Works out pretty cheap.
Bit harder to do with kits though.
:chug:

 

[Trough Lolly]

Burch - I'm well and truly with you on the saving money trip! I appreciate how the dollars soon rack up - my missus is ready to visit the lawyer if I buy any more brewery gear - the march pump was nearly the final straw!! But really, if you want to save loot, then lash out on quality yeast and make stubby starters out of it - there are heaps of articles on it in the forum - hell, I've posted several blurbs on it and so have heaps of other brewers who like to make the most with the ingredients they have. I can make up around 8 stubbies of yeast starter from a single smack pack, and with careful sanitation, I can re-generate the yeast up to about 8 generations = 64 brews from a smack pack....interested? B)

Schmick - you don't need two sachets - sure, you can buy them and chuck em in but why not step up the single sachet over a few days. I did this the other day with a sachet of W34/70. Added it to 300ml of 1.040 wort, let it ferment for 24 hours, added another 500ml of wort, another 24 hours, another 500ml, another 24 hours and then decanted off all but about 200ml of wort, shook, pitched and I have a 23L batch of German Pils going like blazes in the lager fridge right now!

Cheers,
TL

 

[mikem108]

geez, at $5 a pop I put 2 sachets of US56 yeast in my last brew and it took of within hours, skimping on yeast is the last thing I would consider. Theres plenty of info out there re:mutations and why dry yeast shouldn't be reused.
Having said that Charlie Papazian made hundreds of beers from a spec of yeast saved out of the bottom of a Budweiser keg! so what ever works for you..

 

[Burchman82]

well i might try stepping up some of that liquid yeast i got lying around in a 2L coke bottle to start with, then split it into some grolchey's

that sound about right?

 

[Trough Lolly]

Yep, that's the go Burch - just keep everything sanitary that comes into contact with the yeast and try not to shock the yeast with hot starter etc - let the smack pack come up to room temp before you decant it into room temp starter, etc. All my yeast starters, lagers included, are done at around 24 to 26C...Your making yeast, not drinking the starter fluid!!

Have a search on "yeast starters" on this forum and you'll find heaps of info.

Have a go mate and let us know how you went....

Cheers,
TL

 

[Burchman82]

well im not using a smak pack but yeah, ill let yas know!!
(cant remember what it is, its the testtube stuff)

 

[Trough Lolly]

Maybe White Labs??? Anyhoo, have fun!

Cheers,
TL

 

[Burchman82]

yep thats it, just got home and looked.... knew it before just had a mindfart is all